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Astapor
Astapor, dubbed the Red City, is the southernmost of the Slaver Cities on Slaver's Bay. It lies near the mouth of the Worm, north of Old Ghis and one hundred leagues south of Yunkai by a coastal road. Astapor is an old city, but not as populous as Lys, Pentos, or Qarth. It is renowned for the special slaves it produces, the Unsullied. The city takes a tenth of the price whenever a slave changes hands. The Astapori emblem is a harpy: a woman's torso, wings of a bat instead of arms, legs of an eagle and a scorpion's tail. In its talons hangs a chain with open manacles at either end. An old crumbling statue portraying the harpy of Ghis is located atop Astapor's harbour gate. The current state of Astapor is much like it has been in the past. Enormous ancient pyramids overlook crumbling red walls that date back to the days of the Old Ghiscari Empire. Within the walls thousands of slaves change hands daily, under the ever present gaze of the Good Masters. However, a tense political situation develops behind the scenes in this ancient slaver’s city. Two powerful factions among the Good Masters vie for power, and whichever side wins will decide the future of Astapor and perhaps that of all Slaver’s Bay. After all, for centuries the Unsullied have been the foremost mercenary soldiers in Essos, sold to the highest bidder for exorbitant prices. Imagine what would happen if rather than selling these unparallelled warriors, they were used for conquest on behalf of Astapor. City Layout The City of Astapor is separated into seven main sections. The Plaza of Punishment, the Plaza of Pride, the Plaza of Pain, the Plaza of Prayer, the Plaza of Paragons, the Plaza of Profit, and the Harbour. The Plaza of Punishment Located just inside the main gate of Astapor in the southern portion of the City, the Plaza of Punishment is where new slaves enter the city, and walk past rebellious slaves who have been punished or executed, often crucified in the square. The Plaza of Punishment also contains many of the pyramids of less wealthy but still noble Houses. The Plaza of Pride Located in the southwestern portion of the city, the Plaza of Pride is an enormous open slave-market where slavers great and small peddle their wares. In the centre of the plaza stands a red brick fountain with the a hammered bronze version of the Astapori harpy standing in its centre. The Plaza of Pride also contains the pyramids of several prominent slave-trading noble Houses, including House Erdaz. The Plaza of Pain Located in the southeastern portion of the city, the Plaza of Pain contains the numerous fighting pits that the city has to offer, where man, woman, and beast alike fight for their lives in brutal fights to the death. The Plaza of Pain also contains the smaller pyramids of several lesser noble Houses, most notably House Dashaz. The Plaza of Prayer Located in the western portion of the city, the Plaza of Prayer contains the Temple of the Graces, a mighty pyramid-temple dedicated to the Gods of Ghis where the Green Grace resides. The pyramid of House Raaq and several other more pious noble Houses are located in the Plaza of Prayer. The Plaza of Paragons Located in the very center of the city, the Plaza of Paragons contains the Royal Pyramid in the center where the Good Masters rule from, surrounded by the enormous pyramids of the most powerful, wealthy, and noble Houses of Astapor. The two biggest pyramids in this Plaza besides the Royal Pyramid are of Houses Shaqiz and Maar, who rest on opposite sides of the Royal Pyramid. The Plaza of Profit Located in the eastern portion of the city, the Plaza of Profit contains an enormous market where everything except slaves are sold. It also contains the pyramids of many of the wealthiest mercantile noble Houses in Astapor, including Houses Dazhazn, Ghahnar, and Naznor. The Harbour Located in the northern portion of the city along Slaver’s Bay, the Harbour is where slaves, wine, olives, and a great variety of other goods are shipped in and out of the city. Few pyramids are located in the Harbour, except for the pyramids of a few small mercantile Houses. The Graces Temple of the Graces The Temple of the Graces is a large sandstone pyramid that houses the Graces, priestesses of the Harpy. The Graces are separated into orders, each with its own colour. * The Green Grace - the smallest but most prestigious of the orders, there is only a single Green Grace in each city, as they are the priestesses of prophecy. It is not uncommon for a Great Master to consult with the Green Grace before making any major business decisions, and the Great Masters as a whole will often consult the Green Grace before going to war. * The Blue Graces - called the Healing Hands of the Harpy by the residents of Ghiscar, the Blue Graces serve much as the maesters bearing a silver chain-link do in Westeros. The Sapphire Quarters of the Temple of the Graces is a centre of medicine for primarily the wealthy of the city, but the Priestesses go out into the city on a weekly basis to serve those unable to make the journey. * The Red Graces - the most numerous of the Graces, Red Graces are priestesses of love, fertility, and sex. It is not unheard of for pillowslaves that have gained the favor of a Great Master to be taken in by the Red Graces. Red Graces are consulted most commonly by the wives of Great Masters who are attempting to conceive, and they sometimes grant private “prayer sessions” to Great Masters. * The White Graces - the White Graces are responsible for the day-to-day worship of the Harpy and the other Gods of Ghis. They hold important positions in all religious festivals, and are often of noble birth, but deemed unsuitable for the pleasure palaces. * The Pink Graces - sometimes known as the Graces of the Graces, the Pink Graces serve to support the other organisations in their order, most prominently through recruitment from the families of the Masters of Yunkai, Astapor and Meereen, but also as overseers of the guardsmen dedicated to the protection of the Green Grace. * The Purple Graces - with the exception of the Green Grace, the Purple Graces are the smallest group of Graces. This is because the Purple Graces are priestesses to the slaves. In practice, they perform many of the same functions as the White Graces, except for the enslaved of Meereen, as the slaves are not permitted to attend the same religious services as the Great Masters. * The Gold Graces - dedicated to service of the Great Masters in death as the other Graces are in life, the Gold Graces preside over the funeral rites of the nobleborn of the city, marking them with a vertical band of gold dye from hair-line to chin so that Hlaatep, The Seer knows them to be worthy of his judgement. Recent History * 260AC - Yunkai and Astapor found the colony of Vochar on the Isle of Cedars. * 263AC - Meereen attempts to found a colony on the Island of Yaros, West of Yunkai. However, their efforts are stopped by the Yunkish, who fear that the island will be used as a base from which to invade the nearby Yunkai. * 265AC - Tensions nearly bubble over on the Island of Yaros, but the Yunkish are talked down by Grazdan na Pahl, who promises to leave Yaros and abandon all attempts at an Meereenese colony there. * 265AC - Although several Great Masters argue against leaving, the Meereenese leave the isle of Yaros, fulfilling Grazdan na Pahl’s promise. * 265-275AC - The Good Masters rule Astapor in a decade of peace and prosperity. Trade is good, and war is nowhere to be found. * 275AC - Zemdon mo Maar rises to power as the head of House Maar upon his father’s death. * 275AC - Zemdon mo Maar founds the Sons of the Harpy as a political faction, gathering together several younger Good Masters who dream of refounding the Old Ghiscari Empire. * 276AC - As a response to the Sons of the Harpy Grazdan mo Shaqiz founds the Fathers of the Harpy, gathering together older and wiser Good Masters who seek to retain their way of life. * 277AC - Yunkish Wise Masters allegedly rig an election on the colony of Vochar. Astapor threatens to destroy the colony and sack Yunkai. Tensions remain high. Category:Slaver's Bay Category:Ghiscar Category:Ghiscari Category:Astapor Category:City Category:Essos